Quality of Care
As more and more people rely on VMC for their care, it is essential that the highest standards of quality are maintained. Learn how you can support our campaign to make VMC the first public hospital in the United States to achieve Magnet, the highest level of nursing accreditation.
Magnet - The Journey to Nursing Excellence
 Sometime in the fall of 2009, the over 1,200 nurses of VMC will make history. That is because VMC is poised to become the first county hospital in the United States to achieve Magnet, the highest level of nursing accreditation. Magnet, a program of the American Nursing Credentialing Center, is one of the most sought after awards in all of health care. Based on a multi-year selection process, the award signifies that highest level of nursing practice in all areas of a hospital.
The journey to Magnet started in 2006 with a multi-million dollar grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, and his wife Betty had long had a passion for nursing, and recognized the oversized role VMC plays in providing health care to the residents of Silicon Valley. Becoming a Magnet hospital, however, is only the beginning for VMC. Maintaining the highest nursing standards will become a permanent priority. Your support will be so important to the VMC nurses of today, and tomorrow.
Emergency Preparedness
Santa Clara County's Public Health Department works hard to ensure that our community is prepared for a natural disaster or emergency, including a large-scale earthquake, terrorist attack, or flu pandemic. Our goal is to ensure that every county resident is prepared and cared for in a time of emergency. Unlike the slow and inadequate response we all witnessed during Hurricane Katrina due to no centralized response system, our community plans are strong and we are ready to help manage a community crisis if and when it occurs.
PACE Clinic
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's PACE (Partners in AIDS Care & Education) Clinic provides a comprehensive approach to primary medical care for clients in all stages of HIV infection and works to reduce the risk of transmission. The Clinic currently serves 1,000 active patients per year with medical treatment to prevent or delay the progression of HIV and treat other medical conditions. For patients without health insurance, the PACE clinic is their only resource for AIDS treatment in Santa Clara County. The VMC Foundation is partnering with the PACE Clinic to identify funds for a broad-based community outreach campaign, the acquisition of a bone density scanner, and the launch of a peer-based treatment adherence program.
Palliative Care
Santa ClaraValley Medical Center's end-of-life program was established to provide specialized care for patients with irreversible conditions, or patients with severe pain and other symptoms. Aggressive pain and symptom management is the hallmark of good palliative care for any patient, even those without a terminal disease. "Comfort Care" focuses on quality of life and relief of symptoms with attention to emotional, psychological, and spiritual issues for patients for whom cure is no longer possible and curative treatments are no longer desired. The goals of the "Comfort Care" approach are that every attempt will be made to relieve pain and suffering, the dying process will not be prolonged unnecessarily, and patient, family, and friends will be shown respect and treated with dignity at all times. The VMC Foundation is assisting with the expansion of the current Palliative Care Program to include more end-of-life and symptom management specialists to support our patients and their families.
To donate to one of our Quality of Care programs, please click here.
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